The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-22
A STARTLING PHENOMENON.
Death Doubly Photographs Itself
Within Tomb.
Correspondent Neto Orleans Picaytne.

w Ib44LL4 a 4Ol11O.
Correspondent Ne,0 Orleans Picaylu,e
Of all the curious incidents related in pub
lie prints or otherwise, none, to me, seem
more curious and inexplicable than the one
| shall here attempt to dscribe exactly
as it was given to ME a few week ago by
three of the parties to whom l shll refer
The factor it is fact beyond all Ques-
tion-is SO novel and inconceivable that
would not dare state it as truth were il
not fully substantiated.
In June 1883, Dr. A. H. Herring, after o
lingering illness, died at Red Land, in Bos-
ser parish, La. He was about 40 years OF
age, and had been in full practice there as
physician for several years. Aware of his
condition, he requested that his body after
death be placed In a temporary brick vault
above ground, and at some proper time be
carried to Georgia and inferred in the burial
ground of his family. Purposing to carry
out his wishes, the doctors body was put by
friends into a metallic case, which was
closed hermetically, in the usual way,
and the case placed in box of pine
plank
A vault of brick work above ground hav-
ing been prepared to receive it, the box con-
tanning the casket was incloSed, and the
whole covered (outSide) with plaSterlng Of
lime cement.
The bricks on top of the vault were held in
position by rough pine plank beneath-the
plank being supported on the inside by short
triangular, roof-shaped pieces of timber, and
thus when completed the whole exterior was
brick, covered with cement, the interior hav-
ing Immediately and directly above and
over the body, first, the metallic lid of the
casket, next the pine plank of the box top
and above that the rough plank supporting
the brick roofing.
SO disposed of, the body remained fer
about two years and q half, when the family
for some reason, concluded not to remove il
to Georgia, but haveit buried under ground,
as is the custom in that highland country,
and Samuel A Boggs, a neighbor and friend
of the family, was requested to superintend
the final interment in the Red Land Gene
terry.
This he did, and it was from him, his wife
and A. G. Davis, | obtained what will now
be stated, number of other persons having
also seen what was seen by them, of whom
will only mention Mr.. and Mrs G. w. Phelps
and Mr.. and Mrs. John G. Allen, all of Red
Land.
Breaking up the cement, the bricks on top
of the vault were thrown aside and the SUP
porting framework of timber lifted Off.
The uuder side of the plank was found to be
wet with moisture and discolored by time
two and half years., and on this damp
surface of rough plank was seen the entire
figure of the buried man, in shadings repre-
senting every part of the body, not such
picture as made the features recognizable,
but a clear and distinct outline of the whole
body, size and shape. The large veins were
shown in full relief, as is sometimes oh
served on the hands of living subjects, and
of darker color than the feshy parts while
the lungs were represented in light pink
ishness, and the brain appeared in whittier
color.
None of the other vital organs were
traced in colors, though the bony struc-
ture in part, including the ribs, was out
lined.
On exposure to the air and sunlight the
whole figure disappeared so soon as the moiS'
ture dried out, except the veins and lungs.
The lungs also went quickly, but the veins
remained permanently, and were observed
on the plank weeks afterward, and on test
could be raised from the plank with point
of knife and found to be a tibrous or
spongy formation, possessing such adhering
Qualities as prevented their being rubbed
into dust or powder.
The pine box holding the casket was also
wet and discolored, and on the under side
Of the top plank, when taken off, was found
q second picture, in shape and size as the
one described, but in this the veins were
not traced as in the other, nor any of the
vital organs shown in colors-of the two,
the picture at top of the vault, with the
greatest amount of solid material interven-
ing between it and the body, was most COM
plete.
The face, as seen through the glass in front
of it, was well preserved.
By what law of natures chcmistry-and
il must be law of some sort-a dead body
under such circumstances could so picture
itself. may perhaps be worth inquiry by sci
enGfc Investigators who seek to obtain from
the imagined, or may, from the before UNI
imagined, a new truth, disable by the living.
JOHN NJ SANDIDGE.